WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Agency for International Development announced today the swearing in of Thomas H. Staal as its new Mission Director for Ethiopia. Counselor to the Agency Lisa Chiles presided at the event and administered the oath to Staal.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that Tijara, its private-sector development program in Iraq, has helped provide more than 132,000 micro-loans worth a combined value of $300 million since the start of U.S. government microfinance assistance to Iraq in 2004.

WASHINGTON - The guilty verdicts handed down today by a Sudanese court represent a critical step in bringing justice for John Granville and Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama, USAID employees killed in Sudan on January 1, 2008. Granville and Rahama represent the best of our Agency- service to others and a compassion for those in need. They were working to bring peace and stability to Sudan. On behalf of their colleagues and friends at USAID, we mourn their loss but will continue to honor their memory and dedication.

Visit with Local Officials and Community Leaders Amplifies "United We Serve"

WASHINGTON D.C. - Amplifying the White House's efforts to kick off a summer of service, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham joined local officials and community leaders in Baltimore for the inauguration of President Obama's "United We Serve" Initiative. United We Serve is a call to volunteer and be a part of building a new foundation for growth, one community at a time. During his two-hour visit to Baltimore, Fulgham volunteered with two local service projects - the Esperanza Center, and a mobile immunization clinic.

BAGHDAD-The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Midland Refineries Co. opened an Information Technology (IT) Training Center at Daura Refinery today aimed at strengthening the management skills of professionals in the energy sector.

Dominican Republic -- Pedro Martinez, one of the most dominating baseball pitchers in the past decade, and his wife, Carolina Cruz de Martinez, and the U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo Charge d'Affaires a.i., Roland Bullen, the U.S. Agency for International Development's Deputy Mission Director James Watson, and Major League Baseball consultant John Seibel, inaugurated today a unique partnership, Project "Hay Poder en Aprender" (There is Power in Learning) in Pedro's and Carolina's hometown community of Manoguayabo in western Santo Domingo.

WASHINGTON D.C. -- In commemoration of the Day of the African Child, The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today released a report titled Two Decades of Progress: USAID's Child Survival and Maternal Health Program. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACN044.pdf

BAGHDAD--The Founding Shareholders meeting of the Iraqi Company for Financing SMEs, Ltd. (ICF-Small and Medium Enterprises) convened on June 6 at the Baghdad headquarters of the Tijara Provincial Economic Growth Program. Managing Directors of ICF-SME's nine Iraqi private commercial shareholder banks attended. They confirmed the appointment of Sherwan Mustafa to be ICF-SME's new Managing Director and reviewed the first-year business plan.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The One Woman Initiative (http://www.OneWomanInitiative.org), a one-year-old public/private initiative to empower women in countries with significant Muslim populations, today announced its first grants, totaling more than $500,000 to five grassroots organizations in Azerbaijan, Egypt, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

BAGHDAD -The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) hosted a workshop on June 2 to help Iraqi entrepreneurs find viable options for financial assistance to build sustainable enterprises and support Iraq's private-sector development.

New Business Initiative Seeks Entrepreneurial Ideas from U.S.-based African Diaspora to Spur Economic Opportunity in Homeland

DENVER, Colo., WASHINGTON, D.C. June 2, 2009 - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Western Union, a leading global payments network, are counting on innovative thinking and entrepreneurial ideas to help alleviate poverty in Africa.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) hosted the Honorable James R. Locher III as part of the Administrator's Forum, a speaker's series designed to inform the development dialogue within the Agency. As Executive Director of the Project on National Security Reform, Mr. Locher was invited to speak on national security reform and the role of development in a "Smart Power" approach.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today the swearing in of Carol J. Horning as its new Director for Guyana. Acting Administrator for Latin America Deborah Kennedy-Iraheta administered the oath of office to Ms. Horning.

RABAT, MOROCCO - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED) announced today a strategic partnership working to increase regional capacity and awareness in the Middle East and Northern African (MENA) region. Both organizations share a vision to promote awareness, build capacity, share best practices and develop joint approaches to address the critical water issues of the region.

BAGHDAD -The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Iraq's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA) today launched the Social Safety Net program nationwide aimed at providing benefits to the most vulnerable citizens of Iraq and facilitating their integration into the country's economic development.

BAGHDAD - Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Rafie al-Issawi, Minister of Planning Dr. Ali Baban and U.S. Agency for International Development's Acting Mission Director Thomas R. Delaney opened a two-day conference to discuss the prospects for sustained development of Iraq under the Five-Year National Development Plan (NDP).

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today the swearing in of Robert Wilson as its new Director for Pakistan. Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham presided over the event and administered the oath to Wilson.

"Pakistan is our friend and ally, and it is a critical country for USAID's work, requiring us to send only our best and brightest. I can say with confidence that Bob is truly one of our best and brightest," said Acting-Administrator Fulgham.

Lincoln University to Help Address Critical 21st Century Environment and Development Challenges in Malawi

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Higher Education for Development (HED) recently announced that a partnership application including Lincoln University was selected as a winner of the Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Planning Grant Competition.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Special Assistant to the Acting Administrator George Laudato administered the oath of office to Senior Foreign Service Officer Dr. Jeffrey Ashley as its new USAID Representative for Yemen.

"Yemen is a critical ally of the United States and Dr. Ashley was chosen for this assignment because of his outstanding record of service to the Agency" said Special Assistant Laudato. "We are confident Dr. Ashley will do an outstanding job managing one of USAID's fastest growing missions."